The Art of Survival Minisode 3
by Bad Day at Black Rock
Summary: How Ruby comes into play
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: This fic takes part of a series based on the actual episodes of Supernatural. Sam Winchester and Ruby belong to the creator and writers for the show (you hear that guys? they OWN you). Background on Kayla can be found in previous episodes from the series.

The Art of Survival

Two more weeks past and though they stayed on the same path, things had most definitely changed between them. Sam hadn't freaked out when he woke up that morning with Kayla next to him, hell, he was comforted by it. It eased his thoughts so much it had become practically an every night occurrence. They never talked about it, and they never took it further.

After an evening of questioning yet another string of demons and having to kill them all, they were pretty much spent. Sam walked first into the motel room, before he flicked the lights he saw a movement in the corner.

"Kayla get out."

"What?"

"Get…"

But the lights flicked on and the door slammed shut behind her and they found themselves face to face with four demons. Kayla swallowed hard; they were too tired for this, too unprepared. She exchanged a look with Sam.

_Don't be scared._ He tried to comfort her but knew he didn't need to, they had been comfortable with the idea of death for awhile now. After two months with nothing but hopeless despair, this might not be a bad thing.

Two of the demons grabbed Kayla and she let it happen, calmly standing her ground as they held her still.

The only female demon stepped up to Sam and punched him in the face; he didn't flinch. She reached into his pocket like she was going to feel him up but pulled out the dagger.

"Thanks for keeping it warm for me Sam."

He cocked his head. "Ruby." She was in a new body, an older blonde.

"In the flesh, again." She smiled. "Man was Lilith pissed, lucky for me she gave me one more chance to go topside. All I had to do, was find you, and kill you."

"You backstabbing…"

She punched him again and Kayla jerked forward, she was ready to give up to demons but Ruby she'd put an effort in it.

"Aw whatsa matter Kayla? Don't want to see Sammy get hurt? I can start with you." She walked over to her. "If that'll make you feel better." She raised the dagger.

In a series of movements, Ruby lunged forward and stabbed the two demons holding her, one at a time. The third demon ran to attack her and she turned and drove the dagger into his neck.

Sam and Kayla stared at her in shock. What the hell?

"Get your things, and let's go. There are more demons around the building, and they all want you dead."


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby was back. She had escaped from hell under false pretenses and had just saved their assess. None of which was impressive to Sam. She didn't help him before, why should it be different now?

"I think I deserve a thank you."

"No one asked for your help." He answered.

"Hey, I got out of hell for you! So I could help you!"

"Can you help me get Dean back?"

She paused. "No. Nothing I know is powerful enough to do that, I'm sorry."

Sam jerked the car to the side of the road. "Then I have no use for you."

"Excuse me?"

"Unless you can help me get Dean out, I don't need you. _We_ don't need you. Who's body are you in right now?"

She looked confused and a little more than surprised. "Why does it matter? You've never asked me that before."

"Ruby."

"Some secretary."

"Let her go, or I'll send you back to hell right now."

She looked at him for a moment, then glanced back to Kayla. "Whatever, I don't need this." Ruby climbed out of the car and slammed the door. "Some gratitude."


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later Kayla was getting ready for bed when there was a knock at the door. She glanced to Sam, who pulled out his gun before going to answer it. A young woman stood on the other side, her expression spit attitude and she shoved a paper into his hands before waltzing into the room.

"Proof. There's no one in this body but me."

"What?" He looked at the paper, discharge papers for a coma patient.

"You wanted me to be all righteous about this body thing and I made sure the spirit was gone before I took it. It was open vacancy, are you happy now?"

Kayla was a little thrown off, that was damn near righteous, especially for Ruby. "What are you doing here?"

"I've heard you two are making quite a run." She noted that only one bed in the room had been slept in. "I've even heard the term sadistic."

"We haven't been sadistic." Kayla corrected. "Persistent maybe."

"Look, I can't get Dean back. But I can help you kill Lilith."

That caught Sam's attention. "You want me to use my psychic whatever it is."

"I want you to use your gift, Sam. You can harness your mind and do anything, you have no idea how powerful you can be and you can use it for _good!_ Hell even if you _only_ used it to kill Lilith, think of how much good that would do! How many people you would save!"

He wasn't concerned about saving people. He wanted revenge. "Dean didn't want me to use it."

"Well Dean's not here to fight Lilith, you are."

He looked at Kayla for an answer.

She hesitated. "I don't know Sam…it was pretty much his dying wish."

"Technically his dying wish was to take care of you and the Impala."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "He also said to remember what he taught you and that includes," she turned to Ruby, "no offense, that demons can't be trusted."

"Sam if you would have done this before you could have saved your brother. Don't make the same mistake twice."

"We don't know that for sure." Kayla argued.

Sam sighed, a hundred things running through his mind. He turned back to Kayla. "But if…" he stopped, looking at Ruby. "Can we have a minute?"

She held her hands up. "Tell you what, this is what I want. I want to help you train, to use your power to defeat Lilith or any other evil son of a bitch you happen to have a problem with. By the time you're done, you'll be able to kill me before I can think to run. When you have the chance to meet up with Lilith, you will need this. I'll give you the night to think about it, and be back tomorrow." She patted his cheek. "You guys don't have too good a night now huh?"

Kayla watched her walk out. "Dean would be furious."

"Dean would be alive. Am I supposed to pass that up again?"

"He was just so against it, why would you do something he was so hell bent on you _not_ doing?"

"Because I can still use it to get to Lilith, the whole reason he's gone. I can still get revenge. Tell me you don't want to make her pay."

She grimaced. "Of course she should pay. She should suffer but…"

"Then I should do this."

"You don't know what all she wants to teach you."

"Just because she teaches it to me, doesn't mean I have to use it. Give me some credit."

Kayla nodded but she was still so nervous about the whole thing. "I just don't know if we can trust her."

"I _don't_ trust her. But if she can teach me something that can kill Lilith, or that might help get Dean back…"

The idea conquered her arguments and she sighed. "Yeah, then you should do it. Just, use your judgment."

"Of course." He yawned and rubbed his face. "So I'll tell her tomorrow."

"Who knows," she smirked. "Maybe you'll end up with powers like Andy's."

"Andy was pretty cool. Poor kid."

As they had for the last few weeks, they finished their nightly ritual and got into bed without a discussion. Sam admittedly still felt a tug of guilt about it, but when Kayla took her place against his chest the chaos of his despair was manageable. It reminded him why he should get up to fight another day.


End file.
